A 75-year-old man has been sentenced to prison after attempting to ruin his stepsister’s reputation in a desperate bid to win an inheritance dispute.

Raymond Birnie’s campaign of lies and threats against his stepsister stemmed from a long-running feud over his late father’s estate, which started back in 2015.

The Beginning of the Feud and the Smear Campaign

The saga began in August 2015 when Birnie and his stepsister found themselves at odds over their father’s inheritance. Birnie, however, didn’t just settle for a legal fight.

Instead, he resorted to a disturbing series of actions to try and manipulate the situation in his favor.

His behavior escalated over the following years, eventually culminating in criminal actions meant to destroy his stepsister’s life.

Threats, Smear Campaigns, and Stalking

In 2017, Birnie took to sending threatening emails from an address in his brother’s name, warning his stepsister to halt the inheritance case or face consequences.

The situation quickly spiraled as Birnie went on to accuse his stepsister of being a paedophile, a claim that he later tried to back up with a series of fabricated and harmful letters.

One particularly vicious threat came when Birnie sent a letter warning his stepsister that he would distribute leaflets throughout her village, alleging that she and her partner were involved in grooming children.

Birnie followed through with this in March 2018, sending out leaflets with a photo of his stepsister and her partner, further slandering them in the community.

Escalating Violence and Legal Trouble

Birnie’s behavior didn’t stop there. He was arrested in March 2018 but soon went on the run while on bail, hiding out in a campervan with false number plates.

While evading authorities, he continued his criminal activity, including a violent attack on a High Court bailiff and a threat to a chartered surveyor with a knife in Suffolk.

Despite his best efforts to frame his brother for the smear campaign, investigations revealed that Birnie was behind the whole thing, using his brother’s name and email address to carry out his attacks.

A jury ultimately found Birnie guilty, and his malicious campaign came to an end.

The Sentencing and Reactions

At his sentencing on Monday, Judge Mark Bishop described Birnie’s actions as “meticulously planned,” “vindictive,” and “calculated to cause as much damage and humiliation as possible.”

Birnie was sentenced to nine years and three months in prison at Huntingdon Law Courts.

He was convicted on multiple charges, including perverting the course of justice, witness intimidation, actual bodily harm, criminal damage, and more.

In addition to the prison sentence, Birnie was handed an indefinite restraining order against his stepsister, preventing him from contacting her again.

Law Enforcement Response and Impact

Detective Sergeant Sean Clery, who worked on the case, stated that the investigation had been complex and that Birnie’s actions caused immense emotional distress for the victims involved.

He expressed satisfaction that justice had been served and praised the victims for their strength in facing the harrowing ordeal.

The case has left lasting scars on the victims, with the damage to their reputations and emotional well-being being immeasurable.

As for Birnie, his manipulative and harmful actions have led to a lengthy prison sentence, sending a strong message about the consequences of such malicious behavior.

This article was published on TDPel Media. Thanks for reading!

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